Manufacture of collapsible tubes



y 1936- A. w. PAULL ET AL 2,043,138

MANUFACTURE OF COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed Aug. 8, 1935 V 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 21,- 1936. A. w. PAULL ET AL MANUFACTURE OF COLLAPS IBLE TUBES Filed Aug. 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 4M 41 fiawez Patented July 21, 1936 MANUFACTURE .OF COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Archibald W. Paull and Walter T. Davis, Wheeling, Va, assignors to Wheeling Stamping Gompany, Wheeling, W. Va., a corporation of West Virginia p ieaiio Aug st .8 3 seria Np- 35 292 Claims.

' h nvent n relat s o th manpi oinre o co lapsible tubes, and more t cu a ly o the cleanin and prepa o the su fa of he tubes a ter they av en formed to eceive 5 th d c rative coat n which is o h app ied t the tubes. 7

C llaps le tubes, such as those common s d for toothpaste and various toil pre arat ons. usu y car y a deco a iv coatin of a sp ial y 0 pre a e pa or n l hose enga ed e manufacture of the p ep ion t be ut i to the tu es r quire a hi h d g e o p r c on in the character of the decorative coating which is plied to the tu e and t be which not properly decorated n t only a e fus but .may

be a source of loss of a customer to the manufacturer of the tubes which are deficient in this respect. 7 7 'As is well known, thes tubes are ormed an e t ud pr ss- .n ter t ey h ve be n iorin d, numerous operations are perfomed upon them, such as the threading of the neck, the trimming of the extruded blanks to uniform len t t trimmin of the neck .end of the tube and the application of the cap to the tube. These steps a u y performed on a automatic tr mm n and capping machine prior to theappIi ati n of the coating to the tube Thus when a tube has been prepared ready to receive a QQating, it represents ,an article, the manufacture which 'hasbeen substantially completed. It has been f u d. h w ver, that a nnmberlo the tubes wh n they ar put o th at n ma in hav som surface characteristic usually small areas where the paint will not properly spread or ad,- here. This may be due to the preseneeof lubrie cant inasmuch as some lubricant is used on the original blanks to improve the extrusion of the tube, or it may be due to some kindof hardening or glazing .of the surface of the metal of which the tubes are formed, resulting from the extrusion of the metal, or it may be ,due to the presence of grease from the fingers of persons who are called upon to handle the tubes in the forming and trimming of them. Whatever the nature of this surface imperfection, it results in the frequent production of tubes over which the coating will not properly spread. The presence of this imperfection on the surface, of course, cannot be detected until the tube has been coated, and by that time the steps and the materials which enter into the manufacture of the completed tube have all been performed and used.

55 Moreove clos p ti n ha to be m i ed to make sure that no tubes having imperfect at ng i l b sh pp d- The purpose of the present invention is to provide for the surfacing of all tubes after they have been extruded and before they have been 5 coated, to avoid the presence of surface defects to which the coating material will not adhere, and thereby reduce the number of tubes which haue to be discarded by reason of imperfect coating and also assure of all of the tubes having a 10 superior coating. The extruded tubes are very soft and fragile and the perfonnance of any surfacing operation on the tubes is ordinarily difficult. According to the present inventiomhow- ,ever, the tubes have the surface thereof prepared 15 for receiving the coating by revolving the tube while supported on a rigid mandrel in contact with a mild abrasive surface, such as steel wool. This mild abrasive surfacing of the tube eliminates in most cases these conditions on the sur- 2 0 face of the tube which resist the application of the coating and form on the tube a surface which will readily take the coating. Moreover, ac,- cprding to the present invention, the means for so surfacing the tubes is preferably built into the 25 automatic trimming and capping machine and is so arranged that the step of surfacing is done in conjunction with the other functiqns of the machine and without delaying the production .of the machine. Moreover, the invention is accomp he Without an ubsta ia m dific io o L s etine ma hine The invention may be readily understood by eie n o t mpa y n d awin in wh h- .35

Fi u 1 r p e s a s d e va io o tha p tion o an aut mati immin and capp n machine to which the present invention relates, and showing our invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 shows an end view of the surfacing device embodying our inventien, the several dies or mandrels of the revolving head pf the mac ne be n show and th nie dr ls be n r p en the ositi n whi h t ey occupy a h 1 1 the su facing Operation is being per.- o m Figure 3 is a :view similar to Figure 2 showing the position of the parts at the time the :turret head carrying the several mandrels is moving from one station to the next;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the steel wool holder shown in the preceding figures;

Figure '5 is a transverse section in the plane o line V o F ure 1;

capping collapsible tubes.

ends of the turret.

Figure 6 represents one of the removable clips in which the mass of steel wool is held; and

Figure '7 merely shows a retaining wire used for holding the mass of steel wool in place on the clip of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates the frame of an automaticmachine for trimming and Machines oflthis general character are well known in the art, and the particular machine here shown is of the general type disclosed in DavisPatent No. 1,678,463, dated July 24, 1928. The machine is provided with head stock 3 in which is arotatable turret 4. The face of this turretis' provided with a plurality of mandrels 5, 6, l, and 8. A planetary gearing, indicated generally at 9, servesto rotate the individual spindles about their own axes as the spindles or mandrels are carried around to the different positions or stations by the rotation of the turret. As shown in said Davis patent, and as well known in the art, anintermittent gear actionis provided whereby each spindle is progressively brought through a succcession of stations and rotated at'each stationwhile the rotation of the turret is temporarily interrupted. For instance, at one station the tube is applied toxthe spindle while the turret is at rest. In a succeeding station, the tube is out to length, the

neck is threaded and the neck end'of the tube is trimmed. At the third'station, in the, particularmachinedescribed, acap is applied to the threaded neck of the tube, and in a fourth station the'tube is removed from the mandrel; j The turret 4 of the machine is generally cyissuppo-rted in bearings H and I2 at opposite One end of this shaft projects outbeyond the driving belt I? for the machine while the other end of the shaft, which is squareand which is designated loa is po sitioned at the center of the several mandrels or spindles 5, 6, l, and 8. Secured to the square portion um of the: shaft are two guide elements 15 and it, these elements being of like construe tion but being positioned at right angles to each. other. a plates. 'Each guide element is provided with a sheet'metal clip or holder l1, the-holder being. substantially U or channel-shaped and having Each guide element has spaced apart side the free edges thereof turned inwardly and serrated as indicated at 18 in Figure 6. The holder I1 is closed at'one end as indicated by the portion l9, in Figure 6, Whilethe other endof the holder is open to facilitate the insertion of a mass of steel wool'into' the holder or clip. A p ir of bolts 20' serves to slidably hold each holder H in its guide element |5 l6, and compression nally through the 'mass offsteel wool. of thiswirepasses through thehole 19a, inthe springs 2! serve to yieldably urge the holders outas being supported in each of these resiliently supported holders "'l'L-the steel wool being designated 22. The mass of steel wool projects beyond the outer faces of. the guides |5l6 and.

of the holders H. 'For positively holding the steel wool in place, a wire 23 passes longitudi- One end end plate! of the clip or holder and is; bent downwardly against theoutside of this plate as shown in Figure 4 and as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 7. The other end of this wire is in -'holders extending indifferent directions, each ment of the machine. The provision of the the form of a hook which hooks in under the bottom of the holder I1. I The two clips or holders ll are substantially coextensive with the length of the tube to be I is a weighted arm 24. This arm serves to keep.

the shaft In from rotating with the turret. 'At

--the same time, it allows the shaft Ill to rock through a limited are, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figures 2 and 3, when each succeeding mandrelmoves into the position, occupied'by the mandrels l and 8 in Figure'Z. In other words,

' assuming the head to be rotating in a clockwise direction, the mandrel 8' in Figure 3 and'the "mandrel l are both moving to a position'where they will contact with the mass of steel; Wool in are resiliently urged outward by the springs 2|. The turret revolves with considerable speed. When themandrels- 1 and 8 come into engagethe respective holders. The masses of steel wool ment with the respective masses of steel wool,

there is considerable impact, tending to; rotate are being revolved at highspeed abouttheir own Y axes while they are in contact withthe masses of-steel wool. a 7

By having two -masse's of steel wool in two tube is given two surfacing treatment'sone at each of the two stations, thus assuring adequate surfacing of every tube.

A single chargeof steel wool in each holder 7 will serve to process several thousand tubes, and

it is only necessary from time to time to recharge the holders with fresh masses of steel wool. Instead of using steel wool; it -will, of.

course be apparent that other'mildly abrasive material can be brought against the" surface of;

the tube to efiectthe same result. Steelwool,

however, isparticularly desirable. because no grit or. shavings are deposited on the surface "of the tube, and because the scoring action is .very mild.

By reason of the method herein described,

allof the tubes take the coating more effectively and'the number" of defective, tubes produced by a reason of the fact that some tubes are imperfectly coated, has" been very considerably reduced. The apparatus'for surfacing the tubes,

being located'atthe center. of .the turret, does not occupy any space required for any. of the alteration in the general construction orarrangeother mechanismsjon the tube trimming and capping machine, and" it does not-require any counterweighted-arm 24 on the shaft effectively 7 serves to hold theshaft and the surfacing. units against any considerable degree of rotation.

to sweep back and forth over the operating stations of the mandrel under the successive impact of the spindles as the turret rotates. This arrangement further serves to relieve the shock of impact of the moving spindles with the tubes thereon and the abrasive pads.

After the tubes have been processed in the manner just described, they are transferred to a coating machine where the coating is applied in the usual way but with more satisfactory results.

While we have specifically shown and described one preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made within the contemplation of our invention and under the scope of the following claims.

' tion to another, of an abrasive pad in the path of travel of the spindle positioned to bear against the surface of the tube supported on the spindle. 2. The combination with a collapsible tube machine having a plurality of spindles which are successively moved to different stations and wherein the spindles are rotated in moving from one station to another, of an abrasive pad in the path of travel of the spindle positioned to bear against the surface of the tube supported on the spindle, said pad having anormal operative position adjacent one of the regular stations of the spindle.

3. The combination with a collapsible tube machine having a plurality of spindles which are successively moved to different stations and wherein the spindles are rotated in moving from one station to another, of an abrasive pad in the path of travel of the spindle positioned to bear against the surface of the tube supported on the spindle, said pad having a normal operative position adjacent one of the regular stations of the spindle and being supported for oscillation back and forth across the spindle.

4. The combination with a collapsible tube machine having a plurality of spindles which are successively 'moved to different stations and wherein the spindles are rotated in moving from one station to another, of an abrasive pad in the path of. travel of the spindle positioned to bear against the surface of the tube supported on the spindle, said pad having a normal operative position adjacent one of the regular stations of the spindle and being supported for oscillation back and forth across the spindle, said pad being supported in such manner that oscillation thereof is effected by impact between the tube on the spindle and the abrasive pad.

5. The combination with a tube machine having a plurality of spindles and means for moving the spindles successively past a number of stations, a rock shaft associated with said machine, a holder projecting radially from said rock shaft, an abrasive pad in said holder and positioned by the holder to contact with the surface of tubes on the spindles at one station in the path of movement of the spindles, and means for damping the free oscillation of said shaft by the impact of the spindles with the abrasive pad.

6. The combination with a tube machine having a plurality of spindles and means for moving the spindles successively past a number of stations, a rock shaft associated with said machine, a holder projecting radially from said rock shaft, an abrasive pad in said holder and positioned by the holder to contact with the surface of tubes on the spindles at one station in the path of movement of the spindles, and means for damping the free oscillation of said shaft by the impact of the spindles with the abrasive pad,

said means comprising a weight arm hung from the rock shaft.

7. The combination with a tube trimming and capping machine having a turret with a plurality of spindles and means for rotating the spindles and the turret, of a rock shaft passing axially through the turret and having a radially extending holder thereon, an abrasive pad supported in the holder in position to bear against the surface of a tube on the spindles as the spindles are successively brought to predetermined relation with the pad, and means for preventing rotation of the shaft with the turret.

8. The combination with a tube trimming and capping machine having a turret with a plurality of spindles and means for rotating the spindles and the turret, of a rock shaft passing axially through the turret and having a radially extending holder thereon, an abrasive pad supported in the holder in position to bear against the surface of a tube on the spindles as the spindles are successively brought to predetermined relation with the pad, and means for preventing rotation of the shaft with the turret, said means allowing a limited oscillating movement of the rock shaft.

9. A machine for preparing collapsible tubes for coating, comprising a rotatable spindle member arranged to receive a tube and support it against deformation, 2. surfacing member having an abrasive pad, one of said members being movable into and out of cooperating position with the other.

10. A machine for preparing collapsible tubes for coating, comprising a rotatable spindle member arranged to receive a tube and support it against deformation, a deformable abrasive pad resiliently supported to yieldably engage a tube on said spindle, means for bringing the spindle and pad into cooperating engagement, and means to rotate the spindle when the spindle and pad are in cooperating engagement.

ARCHIBALD W. PAULL. WALTER T. DAVIS. 

